As I forgot to renew my Spotify premium membership, I had a tough time traveling back home by car. The fluctuating internet added insult to my injury. With no other alternative available, switching on the car radio seemed to be the only way to make it through the long drive. Even though it felt weird at the beginning that I was no longer my own master to choose the song that I wanted to hear because the radio played its playlist, I soon realized that I was listening to (and loving) songs that I would have never heard if given a choice. In apps like Spotify and Gaana, we have our world — our self-created playlist with which we are happily stuck. But with FMs, it’s different as it widens our platter of choices and the songs we can listen to.
The radio has old-school charm because, unlike today, you can listen to any melody you like or even stop listening to a song midway. On the radio, the playlist is always a surprise. In addition, if you are listening to a particular station, you must hear the complete song.
The radio, as a concept, was invented back in the 1930s, but the concept of FM (Frequency Modulation) within Radio began gaining its momentum in India by the 1970s with initial seeds sowed in Chennai and later extending to all other Indian states by the 1990s. Growing with changing times, it has made itself relevant in the past decades by introducing various wonderful programs like Sainiko Ke Liye (songs requested by the Armed Forces), various celebrity talk shows, audience interaction through a ‘caller’ system, giving weather forecasts, and special programs for farmers. Currently, AIR has about 450 FM stations, which cover almost 39 % of the area and 52 % of the population of India.
There can be voices claiming that with the advancement of music apps, the era and relevance of radio in people’s lives have faded, but in actuality, it is still very much relevant. There are still many people (including me) ardently waiting for their favorite radio jockey or that special program to air. It can either be Nilesh Mishra’s Yaadon Ka Idiot Box, Anu Kapoor’s SUHANA SAFAR on 92.7 or it can be RJ Rochie on 95.0, or DJ Chetas playing his hit remixes in the Sunday night show of 93.5 Red FM.
We cannot discuss the popularity of radio without mentioning its savior role during dead traffic. They are real rescuers with endless traffic, as you are left with nothing except the mercy of FMs to entertain you. While you can light up your mood by listening to Mirchi Murga Red FM or get a bit of what’s happening in popular sports because yes, FM also provides you with live sports updates as well as news headlines at night. Even better than that is how several radio stations also provide details about traffic jams in other places, saving you from being stuck in congestion all over again.
The best thing about radio, however, is its accessibility. While almost all the music apps would require you to buy their ‘premium subscription’ or else get used to their promotions between songs, radio is available to everyone and is free of cost, and the commercials that come in between are also a lot better. Instead of hearing the same two advertisements, over and over, the radio has adverts that are informative as well as catchy such that you will hear yourself randomly reciting them somewhere. In short, sharing your Spotify playlist with your favorite person may be new, but listening to the late-night love stories on the radio is a real old-school feeling.